String-up guide



June 22, 1954 R. s. HEC KROTTE 2,681,496

STRING-UP GUIDE Filed June 28, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l f uo/Jcoca IL) r00 0000 INVENTOR.

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7 June 22, 1954 R. s. HECKROTTE STRING-UP GUIDE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1951 v INVENTOR. fiafiertSlzerwvodilcc/fmtte A TTORNEY.

Patented June 22, 1954 STRING-UP GUIDE Robert Sherwood Hcckrotte, Camden, S. 0., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application June 28, 1951, Serial No. 234,098

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a yarn guide and more particularly, it relates to means for quickly threading yarn, which is running in a warp, in its proper comb space.

Many processing step are carried out on yarn in the form of a running warp, and it is frequently necessary to string in an end while the warp continues to run. This is especially so in the steam stretching process of yarn derived from acrylonitrile polymers. It is essential that a new yarn strung in the warp be properly positioned in the comb guide to prevent interference with other yarns. The time allotted to do this is very short, for the yarn must be drawn from the steam chamber continuously and at a relatively high rate of speed.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a yarn guiding mechanism that is quickly and accurately threaded and which at the proper time allows the running yarn to take its proper position in a comb guide. Other objects will be apparent from the description that follows.

This invention comprises a comb string-up guiding mechanism that can be accurately located along the comb guide to receive readily a running yarn and to maintain it out of a running warp of yarns until stringing in is completed and then to drop automatically the yarn end into the proper space of the comb guide.

The apparatus of this invention, thus, comprises a comb position selector which has a grooved surface or similar means for holding the strand out of the space between the pins selected and cooperating with this diverter on the selector a second diverter which keeps the strand running in the non-normal path until the second diverter is released. The description that follows in combination with the drawings will more clearly bring out the novel features of this invention.

In. the figures, which are given for illustrative purposes only,

Figure 1 is a side view of the guide section of the position selector;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of this guide;

Figure 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the comb guide and track upon which the selector guide is positioned and supported wherever needed;

Figure 5 is a side view of the comb guide and track;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the track and support bar taken on line 6--6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a side elevation showing the guide at the draw roll entrance and the apparatus of this invention in operational relationship with a stretching system;

Figure 8 is a plan view of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 shows the selector guide resting on the track runner and a pin and also the path of the yarn when it is positioned in the comb guide.

Referring first to Figure 7, a yarn end I is shown running in its normal path to draw roll 5. The dash-dot line 6 shows the path of yarn I during string-up before the yarn is brought into its normal path in the warp and is made to run on selector guide 2 and to be deflected by guide 3 to the outer end of roller 5. The relation between the normal path I and the temporary path 6 can be seen in the plan view, Figure 8. In this view yarn end 1 represents the first yarn end in a Warp, and it, or any other yarn end in the warp, may be similarly deflected and strung-up as described above and hereinafter. Aligned with the selector guide support is a comb guide the pins 29 of which can be seen in Figures 4 and 5. These figures also show the bar I5 carrying a plurality of pins arranged in sections to make up the comb guide. The combl sections are separated by track sections I8 to sectionalize the warp. The pins 29 are in two rows for convenience and each track section is comprised of two runners I6 and I! each aligned with one of the rows of pins.

As shown in Figure 1, selector guide has a support 8 in which is mounted shaft 9. This shaft has rotatably mounted on it roller H3 and spacer II. The ends of the guide near the roller are shaped to aiford a surface I2 sloping toward the roller at the top end of the roller and a surface I3 sloping away from the roller at its lower end. At the bottom of the selector guide 2 is a slot M which is adaped to fit on one of the track runners I6 or I! or to rest on comb pins 29 or both. As shown at the right hand end of Figure 4, there are two runners, one of each row of pins, and the length of each runner I 6 and I l approximates the length of slot I4, so that the selector guide when used with the first pin rests chiefly on a runner, as is shown in Figure 9. If it is necessary to string up a pin further away, the selector guide is merely moved to the desired pin and it is supported by one row of pins and or runner sections. For convenience small sections It of double runners are spaced so that the selector guide is supported at least in part by a runner regardless of which row of pins is involved. In between sections of runners are comb pins 29.

In each comb section, through which the yarn ends are running, there are two rows of The pins in the back row are staggered relative to those in the front row so that sufficient clearance is available for each yarn end. If the selector guide is mounted on the front runner Ill and a yarn end needs positioning adjacent a pin in the back row, the selector guide is merely removed and mounted at the. appropriate location on the back runner l'l' and on Whatever pins in that row that are necessarily covered. The selector guide has a conical recess 5!] (see Figure 1) which fits snugly over the conical head of any pin in the comb guide. The selector guide is mounted so that the head of the pin immediately to the right (Figure 9) of the yarn end to be positioned fits into recess 38. The length of the pins and the cut of slot 14 are such that the slot It just clears the pins except at the seat 01' recess 33. As shown in Figure 6'the runners of the track sections IS have notches l9. On support 8 of the selector guide is a lever 25 for holding the guide in position on the runner or on the pins.

.This lever bears against the notch section 15-] of the runners or underneath the top shoulder of the pins. When the lever 26 is pressed against support 8 the selector section may be moved.

'The' use of the selector guide requires that all the pins and the runners of the several track sections be of the same height. While, as a method of identifying the pins, the'operator can count or look at adjacent number plates, it is highly advantageous to divide the comb into sections and the pins into rows of odd and even numbers. This enables the operator to pick out the desired position rapidly. Two lines of runners are, thus, required. Of course, a single row of pins and runner sections or even more than two rows could be used if desired. a 7

If arn end l is to be strung-up the operator merely throws or directs it against the front face of the upper section of the selector guide. If the runningend contacts this face between about point 22 on the sloping surface l2 and about point 23 on the roller is, the yarn end assumes a position on roller it as shown in Figure 9 so long as release guide 3 is guiding the yarn. This guide .3 contains an opening at formed by the close spacing of the upper 25 and lower it sections of the guide. This opening affords passageway for a yarn end running to draw roller 5. In the upper section is an air operated piston or rod 2'? which is free to rotate. This is a yarn contacting stern and the yarn end being temporarily diverted is 'passed'aroundthis rod and as a result the yarn end is directed to the end of draw roller 5. The stem is held extended by air pressure and during this extension the angle or the yarn over the selector guide roller will always be sufficient, with the release guide located as shown relative to the Warp and comb string-up guide, to hold the yarn in the position shown in Figures "1 and 8. When the air pressure is'released the stem retracts to the position shown in dotted lines 28 in Figure 7 and the yarn end moves to its normal path. As the yarn approaches its normal running position on draw roller 5 it is drawn down fron roller lil as shown by the dotted lines in g its normal, position in the warp.

It is thus auto-- matically made to position itself between the.

be a solenoid operated guide ora. mechanical ure 9, directly into pins.

herein which conforms to the principles of the a spring and catch guide or even a manually operated guide. Further, the roller is may be a stationary pin or the surfaces l2, l3 and that of roller it may be made integral. Likewise the release guide need not be rotatable, particularly so if the traveling material is not sensitive to friction. Usually, however, rollers are preferred because friction is minimized and yarn quality is improved. The apparatus of this invention can be used for guiding any traveling strand, ribstep of stringing in, the yarn is held above the warp and thus interference with other yarns in the warp is avoided. The yarn may cross the entire width of the warp from the comb stringup guide to the yarn release guide without touching a single warp yarn.. When the yarn is released by the yarn release guide it will continue in its path over the selector guide roller and above the warp until the angle around the guide roller is very smaller until the yarn has substantially reached its final running position on the first draw roll. a

By running the string-up end over the selector.

guide, sawing action on adjacent warp ends is eliminated, and the speed essential. to stringingup is realized. The selector and release guides at the entrance to the draw section insures that wraps, largely iormed during string-up, will be in a position (near the open ends of the draw rolls) where they are easily removed without damaging other running ends. Further, withthe elimination of the ends running together over the draw rolls, improper heat treatment is avoided.

Any departure from the procedure described invention is intended to be included within the scope of the claims below.

I claim:

1. A guide apparatus for a traveling strand comprising, in combination, comb in which.

said strandis to be positioned; a comb position selector; a strand diverter'on said" selector for temporarily guiding said strand out of its normal path; and a release diverter release of which permits the yarn to fall in its normal position in s id comb.

2. A guide apparatus for a traveling strand comprising, in combination, a comb in which said. strand is to be positioned; a comb position sel'ec-- tor; a strand diverter on said selector comprising a grooved surface for holding said strand tem-.

porarily out or" its normal path; and a release diverter for maintaining resultant non-normal.

selector; on said selector, a roller havingfianged ends, a surface sloping downwardly toward, said roller and asuriacesloping downwardly away from said roller; 2. release diverter comprising an extended. pin,.said strand riding in said flanged end roller at. lower end of said roller until retrace. tion of said extended pin.) 7

4. In a guide apparatus for a traveling strand, a comb position selector for guiding said strand to a predetermined position between two pins in said comb comprising a support; mounted in said support an idle roller flanged at both ends; a surface sloping downwardly toward said roller; a surface sloping downwardly away from said roller; a slot in the bottom of said support adapted to clear all the pins in said comb under said support but the pin at the selected position; 10 and a recess in said slot adapted to receive the said selected position pin.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the said slot is adapted to rest on a runner. 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in 1 which the support has mounted on it a lever adapted to bear against said runner.

7. Apparatus for directing a strand to a position between two comb pins comprising a diverter supported on one of said pins, said diverter having a grooved surface directly above the opening between said pins; and a second diverter located to direct said strand away at an angle to its path when located between said comb pins; and a release for said second diverter actuation of which diminishes said angle to zero whereby said strand moves from said groove to its normal running position between said comb pins.

No references cited. 

